At the Labour conference in 2021, Kier Starmer called for greater support for arts subjects in schools, recognising they help produce 'well-rounded' young people who are 'ready for work', something those of us who work in the arts know only too well.
'When you don’t invest in young people, the whole nation suffers and the less fortunate get behind.' Kier Starmer
Starmer went on to say that young people need to be 'skilled in life', including such skills as teamwork and communications, which is why 'it's stupid to allow theatre, drama and music to collapse in state schools.'
In both the 2019 Conservative manifesto and the government's 2020 Budget, promises were made to ‘invest in arts, music and sport’. However, earlier in September it was revealed by Nick Gibb that the ‘arts premium’ is now subject to this year’s Spending Review, and the sector fears it will be abolished, thus depriving many children of the opportunity to engage with and learn from or through the arts.
Commentaires